Upside down apple tart

Tam West

New season gala apples plus some store-bought pastry equals a simple but welcoming sweet treat.

Ingredients

1 sheet	Flaky puff pastry (Main)
½	Vanilla pods
100 g	Caster sugar
50 ml	Calvados (apple brandy), or use gin or your favourite tipple (Main)
2	Gala apples, you may need 3, peeled and sliced (Main)
1	Beaten egg, for egg wash
1 sprinkle	Icing sugar, for dusting tart

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 215C. Lightly roll out the sheet of pastry, and rest on a baking sheet in the fridge.
2. Cut ½ vanilla pod in half again, lengthwise. Scrape out the seeds and add to caster sugar. Place sugar into a 20cm omelette pan over a direct heat so it starts to dissolve, then add calvados, gin or your favourite tipple. Without stirring, cook the sugar solution until it starts to lightly caramelise, then carefully add the apple slices and cook a further 5 minutes.
3. Remove pastry from the fridge and place over the apples, carefully tucking the excess down into the sides of the pan. Brush pastry with eggwash and bake in the oven until the pastry has risen and browned evenly, about 20-25 minutes. Remove and rest for 5 minutes, dust with icing sugar, then turn out onto a plate. Serve with vanilla icecream or whipped cream.

More of Warren's autumn fruit and bought pastry desserts

• Custard tarts
• Freeform fruit pie
• Pear turnovers